Some concerns about allowing Rust code in linux kernel.
From: Amit
Date: Fri Mar 21 2025 - 09:04:48 EST
Hi,
I have some concerns regarding Rust code in linux kernel.
Many C programmers who contribute to linux kernel and maintain the
kernel may not want to learn Rust. I have contributed few patches to
linux kernel a long time ago and I also don't want to learn Rust.
So, what are the chances that 10 years down the line, we will still
have Rust contributors/maintainers for linux kernel?
What if Rust kernel developers abandon linux kernel 5 years down the line?
There are tons of C programmers around and they will be around because
OS/Networking software is written in C and will keep getting written
in C.
What is the guarantee that we will have tons of Rust programmers down the line?
Java developers are not going to learn Rust.
Only C/C++ developers may want to learn Rust but then the question is
how many C/C++ developers would want to learn and become an expert in
a new language? And then how many of those will actually contribute to
linux kernel?
I am not suggesting anything. I just had these concerns, so I wrote them here.
Regards,
Amit